Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11

Thread: This laptop needs a LOT of work...

  1. #1
    Skiz's Avatar (_8(I)
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    CO
    Age
    46
    Posts
    22,943
    OK, the laptop belongs to one of my employees and she said it was "running slow and acting funny". Boy did those turn out to be the understatments of the year. I've been going head-to-head with this thing for about two hours now and I'm only beginning to make some headway. Here are some of the problems I'm having if anyone wants to render aid:

    HP Pavilion xt412
    Windows XP Home
    Intel~1594 Mhz
    256 MB RAM

    As soon as I boot the thing up I begin to see all the familiar signs of spyware; Musicmatch, Weatherbug, etc. After I get looking around though, I see that there isn't a single spyware removal tool anywhere on the whole machine, NOTHING. So I go to my pc and put Ad-Aware SE and HiJackThis! on a disc and run it in the laptop. Ad-Aware SE comes up with 1122 "objects" (and that's w/o updating the objects, which are 129 days old) and HiJackThis! gives me a whole list of ugly stuff. I can't post the log though b/c it's on the laptop.

    I look around and see a Norton Anti-Virus icon so I try that but an error pops up that states:

    Norton Integrator could not initialize the current frame class. Please make sure that you did not directly run the integrator.
    I've cleaned up a ALOT of the junk but I need to get the internet working so I can post the HiJackThis! log at their forum or here (or both) and begin digging some of this stuff out of the registry.

    I have a cable connection that I use for my pc and if I'm correct, I should be able to plug the ethernet cable into the laptop and have a connection, easy as that. Well I don't, have a connection that is. If I double-click the IE icon, it opens but there is nothing in the URL spot and it says there is no page to display. If I attempt to enter a valid URL such as Google, I get 'The page cannot be displayed' and the URL changes to "res://ibuwf.dll/http_404.htm".

    I look at msconfig > startup to poke around a little more and see 71, yes 71 items are listed. Of these, about 55-60 are running. I'm going to go threw and look them all up tommorow I guess.

    But I guess the first thing I need to figure out is how to get the internet working on the laptop. Any help is appreciated.
    Last edited by Skizo; 01-19-2005 at 01:33 PM.


    yo

  2. Software & Hardware   -   #2
    tesco's Avatar woowoo
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Canadia
    Posts
    21,669
    it's full of spyware, viruses, likely trojans too.

    Just backup the important stuff (and scan it with your computer to make sure no viruses come along) then format and reinstall windows.

  3. Software & Hardware   -   #3
    Skiz's Avatar (_8(I)
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    CO
    Age
    46
    Posts
    22,943
    I was afraid I'd have to reinstall.

    How do I do it with my pc though??


    yo

  4. Software & Hardware   -   #4
    tesco's Avatar woowoo
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Canadia
    Posts
    21,669


    You don't...

    just put the XP cd into the laptop's cd rom and away you go.

  5. Software & Hardware   -   #5
    UcanRock2's Avatar Phantom Gander
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    "Out West"
    Age
    61
    Posts
    871
    Most laptops have a phone jack for like dial-up connections.

    See if you can use a wireless router or a smart card to access the internet from your cable connection.
    Last edited by UcanRock2; 01-19-2005 at 01:25 PM.

  6. Software & Hardware   -   #6
    Skiz's Avatar (_8(I)
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    CO
    Age
    46
    Posts
    22,943
    Ohhh...Scan the stuff I backup on my pc.

    I've never had to do a reinstall since I don't screw my stuff up. Put the XP disc in and it will give me the option of formatting and reinstalling? Or I have to format and then insert disc to reload XP?

    I'm asking instead of doing b/c this isn't my laptop so I obviously don't have the discs. I'll have to get them from her.


    yo

  7. Software & Hardware   -   #7
    Skiz's Avatar (_8(I)
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    CO
    Age
    46
    Posts
    22,943
    Quote Originally Posted by UcanRock2
    Most laptops have a phone jack for like dial-up connections.

    See if you can use a wireless router or a smart card to access the internet from your cable connection.
    Don't have ANY of that stuff


    yo

  8. Software & Hardware   -   #8
    Virtualbody1234's Avatar Forum Star BT Rep: +2
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    10,763
    Quote Originally Posted by Skizo
    Ohhh...Scan the stuff I backup on my pc.

    I've never had to do a reinstall since I don't screw my stuff up. Put the XP disc in and it will give me the option of formatting and reinstalling? Or I have to format and then insert disc to reload XP?

    I'm asking instead of doing b/c this isn't my laptop so I obviously don't have the discs. I'll have to get them from her.
    Yeah, that's pretty much it. Check in the BIOS for boot order and make sure the CD is before the HDD. Boot with the CD in and press a key when it prompts for CD boot. There is partitioning and formatting tools right before the installation starts.

  9. Software & Hardware   -   #9
    Skiz's Avatar (_8(I)
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    CO
    Age
    46
    Posts
    22,943
    Sounds simple except this part. Not sure the terminology.

    for boot order and make sure the CD is before the HDD.
    What do you mean make sure it's before the HDD?

    Sorry fellas but like I said, it's my first try


    yo

  10. Software & Hardware   -   #10
    Virtualbody1234's Avatar Forum Star BT Rep: +2
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    10,763
    In the BIOS there is a setting for boot up sequence. If the hard disk is before the CD drive then the computer will just start normally and skip checking for the CD. That is why the CD drive needs to be set to before the HDD.

    I hope that is more clear.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •